Tangent
by Bittersweet Romanticide
Summary: Dawn had a redhead to boost her up when she felt down, and Ash had his own.


"_That's why, after a loss, I take time off to recharge. I don't worry about ribbons."_

The sentence bounced around in his head, sinking into a corner before springing up and diving into his thoughts. It was almost a demon, his own personal demon, for ever time he almost lost and did lose he could feel that sentence digging poisoned claws into his brain. Maybe he was being a little dramatic, but it was part of his nature to be as such (just as it was to be heroic and a little gullible), So, as he lost a trainer battle, not even a _gym _battle, but a _trainer _battle.

It felt so bad he wanted to cry, but he was thirteen now, darn it! He didn't cry unless it hurt really, really bad, a bit like it did now…but Brock and Dawn hadn't seen it so it was okay, _everything _was okay. In fact, things were better than okay! He knew what he would do, just like Dawn! He's take a break. No battles, no training, just relaxing for a bit to get back in his feet. He never had those after a loss, and he bet he's feel a lot better it he did.

"Ash, man," Brock asked, knocking on the bathroom door. He was almost afraid to knock on the pretty thing, the heavily frosted glass showed nothing inside, and the wood around the edge was barely wide enough for his fist. As much as he loved bunking down under the stars, he had to admit it was nice to have a rich girl like Dawn paying for an extravagant, expensive hotel every once in a while. "Did you drown in there? You've been in for almost an hour. Dawn and I are getting worries."

"I'm fine!" Ash called, trying his best to sound confident. In all reality, he was hiding in the gap between the wall and the toilet whilst clinging to a plunger like a doll. He had tried to cling to Pikachu, but the mouse had gotten sick of cuddling and ran out on him. Pikachu had opted instead to cuddle up in one of the fluffy pillows and take a nap (though, she was kind enough to give his cheek a lick before she ran away).

"You've been crying again, haven't you?"

"No! I have not! And I don't cry! My eyes just water up sometimes! Sometimes my throat gets tight and I sound like I'm crying but I'm not!" Ash felt that this was a very good defense, except that his eyes were red from crying and he would have to find a way to hide that. Boldly, he tossed aside his makeshift plunger friend and leapt to his feet, wiping off his tears in the mirror. He figured he could use his hat, and did so, practically skipping out of the bathroom.

Brock jumped back as the door whipped open, looking at the young boy with concern. "What were you doing? Having an epiphany?"

Dawn glanced over, having been staring at the television for the past hour with a box of gourmet Turkish delight looking very confused. "Brock, what's an epiphany?"

"A life changing idea. Believe it or not, people have them a lot on the toilet, though Ash hasn't had any yet." Brock laughed at his joke, then turned his eyes back on the hat wearing boy. "So, Ash, you finally realized how to be the world's greatest pokémon master?"

Ash beamed. "Better! I'm going to take a break from pokémon training after my big loss!"

Dawn encouraged him, rushing over with a smile. "That's wonderful! You never take a break, you always work so hard and you could use a vacation! We can take on together! Not to mention it's Contest Week on TV with all the best contests in history so we can use that as a sort of a visual training! Studies show that watching professionals makes you one! At least it really helps you, it's not magic or anything."

Brock put a hand on Ash's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "So, uh, Ash, how long is this break going to last? Until we get to the next town? I'm pretty sure there's a gym in the next town over, a good one too. You need another badge and it should be about a week for us to get there. You can spend a day training before we get there, so a six day break, or a week if you want to spend a night in town. That should do the trick."

"Why are you trying to make it so concrete, Brock?" Ash inquired, plopping on the couch next to Dawn. He picked up the remote and raised the volume on the plasma screen. "I'll see how I feel when I get there. Maybe I'll feel better and maybe I won't. All I know is I don't feel so good, so I need a major break. Pikachu's fine with a break, aren't you Pikachu?"

(_I want ketchup,_) She reported, kneading her paws and short little claws into the pillow. She flexed her toes out wide then curled them in, shuffling down deeper into the cushion and slowing her breathing. (_Might as well dream about it, since you're too depressed to get me some._)

"See? Pikachu's happy about the break, just said so!" He took one of the treats from Dawn's basket of them and bit down happily. "Next week is Gym Leader Week too, maybe I should check that out. I think it would help me out, especially if it tells me what kind of strategies the next gym leader uses. So, why don't we take a bit longer break, Brock. I think it's no big deal."

Brock sighed and walked out of the room, flipping open his phone and holding it to his ear when it dialed. "Hey, it's Brock…No, no, everyone's fine, don't worry…I just called because I was wondering how soon you could get out here…I know you're busy but it's just a day…a talk…what about? Well, let's just say you'll get to flex some old arguing muscles you've forgotten all about…yes, of course it's all about him, isn't it always?"

* * *

She burst through the door, hands balled into fists on her hips as she ran up to him. Her hair was tied up tightly, Hoenn outfit clean and crisp, and she looked awfully displeased as she ripped at his ear, twisting it nearly off his head and holding it close to her mouth as she screamed, "What are you doing? Get off of your butt and work you lazy, self centered, no good, bike stealing, stupid never-gonna-be Mr. Pokémon Master!"

He gave a scream of his own, this of surprise as he went crashing down to the floor. Dawn and Zoey gasped, mouths open, while Brock watched from the doorway, curious to see how the scene would unfold. Ash rolled on the floor for a moment before stumbling to his feet to stare his attacker in the face, shocked to see his old redheaded companion looking almost smugly at his ever reddening ear, which still stung. She was a little taller than he remembered, a little more womanly, but all in all, she was still Misty. With a grip like that it was hard to mistake her.

"What was that for?" He snapped.

"A _break_?" She asked him, jabbing him in the chest and taking a large step forward. "A break. You're going to have to explain to me how this works, because Brock could _not _have gotten that right. A break cannot possibly mean more than _two weeks, _two weeks to an indeterminate amount of time,of no training, no battling, just you sitting on a sofa eating bonbons and drinking fancy French wine all day! So, _tell _me Ash! You better explain right now what you're doing."

He gulped. "I…uh, it's only gonna be two weeks, not an indey…induh…whatever. And they're Turkish Delight, not bonbons."

"You're still _taking _a _break, _you crazy amateur navigator!" Misty snapped. "What's so tough about what you've got going on? I've got a gym to run! I've got more work than I know what to do with. I've got to clean and train and feed the pokémon and take care of my sisters and do all the paperwork and beat off my sisters' fanboys with a hammer and annoy my sisters, not just because I love it, but because it's expected of me now and if I don't bug them they'll think something's wrong with me! Plus, I've got two luvdisc who, though they breed like bunny rabbits, can't seem to make an egg, which is _really _annoying!"

Ash straightened, marching towards her and jabbing her in the chest. "Yeah, well I just got beaten three times in a row by _trainers! _Not even gym leaders, Misty, or Team Rocket grunts or something! I got beaten by normal trainers! It hurts."

"Oh," She groaned, disgusted, slapping his hand away. "Man up, you girl! I get beaten by trainers every day! Like, thirty times a day because they keep coming in with grass types! You know what I'm sick of? Getting beaten by newbies with Ivysaur! _Ivysaur use vine whip! Use it again! Use it again! _For Arceus's sake! Sweet heavens above at least the battle syou do are interesting! I have to watch my pokémon get smacked by vines over and over and over again because they're shipped in straight from, where? That's right _Pallet Town_, which I blame you for because half of them know your name and they keep going _I wanna be like Ash_! And I want to hurt them, but I can't do that because last time I did that the kid tried to sue me!" She gave a dreamy grin. "Ooh, their faces when I whip 'em with Gyarados."

Ash gulped. "But…not everyone's like you. Dawn did it."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, putting her hand over her mouth. "_Dawn _did it! Well, if _Dawn _did it, then it must be right for _everyone!_" She turned to the girl and smiled, softening her tone. "Don't take it personally, Dawn, I'm not making fun of you, I'm mocking Ash. Ignore the tone, and by the way, I think it's wonderful that you won your contest, the one you were in with May, and you're so kind in getting the boys these rooms. We never got anything like this and if they haven't said thank you, I'll say it for them."

Dawn blushed. "Oh, it's not a problem. My mom insisted on it."

"That's nice of her," Misty agreed, keeping her smile until she was glaring at Ash again. "Where were we?"

"If Dawn did it then it must be right for everyone," Ash explained.

"Ah, that's right! Of course if Dawn did it it's alright! So, tell me…" She marched up to him and poked his chest, hard enough to make him back up and fall back on the couch, now staring up at her with wide, scared eyes and clutching a pillow to his chest. "I'm just curious, with all this talk of Dawn and all. Now, you're a girl like Dawn, right?"

"I'm not a girl."

"Oh!" Misty blinked. "So you're not! Well, that must mean you do contests like Dawn, don't you? Where it tends to be beauty over power?"

Ash felt his cheeks tint. "No…I'm more of a battler, but I've done contests before and they're kind of fun."

"So, if nothing else, that must mean that your personality is exactly like Dawn's and not like Gary's or even-" She smirked at this, dishing out her first real insult. "-mine."

He bolted up, mouth agape with horror. "I'm nothing like you! Don't you even joke about that! It's not funny! You're mean and cynical and you make fun of people all the time! I'm a nice guy! I help everyone out and I do what I'm supposed to! I'm not like you and especially not anything like Gary! He just gave up on pokémon training and went to researching! He probably couldn't compete with me and that's why he gave up!"

"Well, let's start with that nice thing. Pikachu loves to battle, Ash. Pikachu wants to be the very best it can be! I've never seen a single battle where it didn't put its very heart and soul into it. It fights beyond what it can, just using every powerhouse it can until the battle is won or its body just can't take what's its mind is willing to bear. I haven't seen your other pokémon, but from the ones you pick, I'm guessing they all have the same attitude. Do you think that taking them out of battle and not bothering to train them during their time off is nice? When they get back into the fight, they'll not only be weaker, but out of practice and in for a world of hurt. I don't think that's all too kind, is it, Mr. Pokémon Master?"

Ash crossed his arms across his chest. "Don't try and do that. Two weeks won't kill them anymore than it'll kill me! We'll practice before we fight again! I won't be that cruel!"

"Alright," Misty nodded. "Well, Ash, I've got nothing to conclude form your recent responses that you are giving up on pokémon training. As such, I'm going to have to confiscate your pokémon and take them into a good home. I know a lot of nice trainers, and I think Pikachu wouldn't mind joining me at all. That's that." She gripped his foot and tugged him close, grabbing one of the pokeballs off his belt before he got away. "There's one! Give more to go!"

"Misty!" He shouted, storming up to her. "Give it back! You can't just take it!"

"Give it back? Why? You've given it up, Ash! You gave it all back over a couple of losses! If a trainer is backing out because of a loss, a trainer as seasoned as you, well, I don't think this is a very safe environment. It's my responsibility as a decent person and a fellow trainer to remove the pokémon from what I feel is a dangerous situation. Battling on and off would play havoc on a pokémon's body, would it not, Brock?"

"Why are you dragging me into this?" He said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Pokémon Breeder," She retorted, rolling her eyes to him. "You know about raising and tending to pokémon, no? Is fluctuating the level of activity on a constant basis healthy for a pokémon, yes or no. You can't have it both ways. You know the situations."

He sighed. "If Ash made a habit out of it, yes, it'd be dangerous."

"There you go Ash," She nodded curtly. "You can't possibly be expected to have a pokémon! Not to mention you wouldn't be raising it right! Once upon a time you taught them to fight no matter what, to never give up, but it looks like that had changed. You must be raising a bunch of cowards now. There's not an ounce of dedication to the battle! I'm afraid it isn't safe anymore. If you don't hand over your pokémon now I'll have to call the League to bring in the muscle and force the pokémon away themselves. It'll be a more pleasant experience with me."

"No! I'm not giving up and I'm not a coward! I'm raising all my pokémon to be brave and strong! I never give up! I'm fighting to the last breath, just like Pikachu! I'm fighting for what I want, to be the best pokémon master the world has ever seen! I'm going to be the best! I can't do that without my pokémon, but I'll fight you too if I have to! You better give back Pikachu's pokeball right now, Misty! I'm warning you!"

She took on a mocking tone. "Is that a challenge to a fist fight?"

"No! It's a challenge to a battle!" He shouted, ripping the pokeball out from his belt and expanding it, he swung his hat back, the part to cover his eyes now shading his back and his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I don't need a badge from you anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't challenge you as a trainer."

She smiled. "Well then, I guess I won't be needed anymore. Attaboy, Ash. I knew you wouldn't give it up that quickly." She tossed him the pokeball, trying not to giggle at his surprised face, and pointed at Zoey. "Give all the advice you want to Dawn, but make sure you tell Ash it's not for him too. The boy falls into bad habits like you wouldn't believe. Took me years to beat out all the bad habits his mother let him get away with. You wouldn't believe how bad he was before I got here."

She tweaked his nose and grinned at Brock. "This is fun. Call me up if you want me to yell at his sorry butt again. I forgot what a great stress reliever it was."

And with that, she was gone, leaving a trail of amazed faces behind her. A Psyduck came out of its pokeball and waddled after her franticly, joy apparent in his eyes as she rummaged in her pocket for some kind of treat to keep him quiet on the airplane trip home.

The sentence was still there, but it contrasted now. Dawn and Zoey didn't have to worry about badges. Contests weren't careers, but hobbies, like dog shows. They were fun and good for picking up spare change. One could even make a lot of money off it if they were good, but it was a risky business, and not nearly as highly paid as battling. At the end of the day, they could take the break and not worry about the ribbons, but he had to worry about the badges.

And nothing could remind him quite how much those badges were worth than a gym leader.

* * *

It sort of hit me as I was watching the show that, yes, coordinators can take time off, but unless a trainer is injured, it wouldn't be worth it. The amount of muscle mass loss, falling out of practice, just shifting into a lazier mode, it would completely set the trainers back. I know from experience that often, once you stop a sport it's actual work to start again and to get back to the point that you want to be at. Some people get so frustrated that they can't stand it anymore.

I'm not saying Ash would have quit, but by doing that, as a trainer, it's too big of a risk for him to take. Let's face it, Brock doesn't have the terror factor to whip Ash into shape. We need a, pardon my French, megawitch (it's a K rated fic) to come in and give him a good talking to.

**Disclaimer: I don't own pokémon, but I do own a humble hope and dream that someday, someday 1,234 people would review a fiction a little like this one…**


End file.
